Appeal To Stop Disbarment Of Rights Solicitor

by Pete Tue Jan 18, 2005 22:17

Maybe she charges reasonable and fair fees and this is the financial irregularities they are on about, they normally look after their own the law society bunch, there must be more to this than meets the eye. She could come down south and be a sucessful tribunal lawyer all you have to do is turn up occassionally and collect your cheque and you can represent even bigger crooks

by Gerry Rice Wed Jan 19, 2005 16:45 gerrice at btopenworld dot com 11 Newcastle Road, Ballynahinch, Co. Down. BT24 8NE 02897562773

The English Legal System must be removed from the island of Ireland.
It is evil for the English Parliament (see Enoch Powell’s “Wrestle with the Angel”) to continue to subsidise and maintain the ongoing farce called the legal system here in Northern Ireland, a legal system abused left, right and centre by lawyers who operate a separate system of their own with the blessing their absentee landlord. Anyone, such as Padraigin Drinan, who is tough enough, honest enough, courageous enough and clever enough to make the best of a bad system must be silenced for getting in the way of a very cushy number.
It is cruel for the English Parliament to patronise a people it has already punished so much, to the extent that it pays political representatives and civil servants from its midst, massive salaries and perks, to become and remain puppets with the ‘nod and wink’ freedom to change, manipulate and abuse English Law here to suit themselves and certain circumstances, thereby bringing further suffering on ordinary men and women here.
It is cruel for the English Parliament, in using its unilateral decision to be present here, to impose an administrative web, backed up by English Law, which thrives on posturing, prevarication and pettiness, again bringing further suffering on ordinary local men and women. Such suffering has been endured by Irish people subject to the rule of English Law for too many centuries already.
Before his death, Terence McSwiney stated, “Victory is won not by those who can inflict the most, but by those who can endure the most”. The so-called Mother of Parliaments, whose members flaunt their belief in democracy, human rights and civil liberty across the world, should be ashamed of herself.

Over 28 years ago, I sought the protection of English Law for my family by asking the proper authority responsible for the relevant section of that English Law, Down District Council, to abate a smoke nuisance in the form of coal smoke which was entering our almost new home from the fire of the house next door.
Down District Council refused to provide my family with the protection I had been forced by English Law to pay for.
Again I sought the protection of English Law regarding the conduct of Down District Council and complained to the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Complaints. The Commissioner confirmed my complaint, but in his published report, Report CC 19/78, did not find Down District Council guilty of maladministration.
We now know that the published report was not the original finding of the Commissioner. The original 'lawful' English Legal Finding did find Down District Council guilty of maladministration and this Finding gave me access to redress against Down District Council in a County Court. Such a step would have had serious consequences for Down District Council and even the Westminster establishment and was caused to be changed to suit the circumstances.
So, to hell with justice as far as English Law is concerned.
To hell with principle as far as English Law is concerned.
To hell with ordinary Irish people and their suffering as far as English Law is concerned.
To hell with the written English Law if it gets in the way of local puppets, as far as English Law is concerned.
English Law just doesn't work in Northern Ireland, so it may as well not be here.

How did local political puppets cause the Findings of the Commissioner for Complaints to be changed re CC 19/78?
This state of affairs has been confirmed by a former senior politician here who is also a former chairman of Down District Council.
There is proof of this in the Commissioner for Complaints Report itself.
A Departmental head in Down District Council at the time, even put in writing the existence of the nuisance, not only in my home, but in other homes, and even identified the cause of the nuisance in a letter to another authority, a letter which was sent to me much later, anonymously.
Down District Council have still done nothing to alert householders about their defective homes simply because there are thousands of defective houses built with illegal material within Down District and this Council is content to keep the lid on this scandal.

Some years later, English Law allowed the Nationwide Building Society to repossess my defective home and keep all the thousands of pounds I had paid in mortgage re-payments plus my deposit.
Although I felt, in conscience, that I could not sell my defective dwelling to anyone else, the Nationwide Building Society did not have such a problem and sold my defective home with the blessing of English Law. English Law even allowed the Nationwide Building Society to keep all the thousands of pounds from the sale of my former home.
On the same day that the professional lawyers for the Nationwide Building Society took my defective home off me in Belfast, other professional lawyers had me attending the local County Court appealing against a conviction and £250 fine imposed on me under English Law in a previous Magistrate’s Court, again with the help of professional lawyers.
I had been summoned by lawyers to the Magistrate’s Court because I had to refuse to obey a Planning Authority Order to remove the old mobile school classroom which the Down District Council’s negligence had forced me to house my family in. Where did all those lawyers expect me to put my wife and eleven children when they took one house off me and tried to force me out of mobile accommodation they had forced us into on my own property? My wife and I still live in this accommodation after 25 years.
I could not be in two places at once. Under English Law, my conviction was upheld, although the original £250 fine was reduced to £100 and, in addition, under English Law, I was given a criminal record number.

By this time my once thriving business was in ruins and my health was damaged. I became unable to pay for the services, in rates payments, which Down District Council refused to give me!

As a result, and despite my correspondence with the local Crown Solicitor, English Law was able to be used to decide that I should be made bankrupt which blackened my good name across this ‘United Kingdom’. My Austin Metro was taken off me and sold, wrongfully, as I needed it for transport because of a life-long disability, and an old VW Polo which I was repairing for sale to try to earn some sort of living, was towed away and sold. Of course English Law ensured that I never got a penny from this sale either. My small garage property would have been sold as well but for the intervention of a top Unionist politician even though I am catholic. How this was prevented I do not know. I had given up complaining to the Law Society about lawyers long before that. A toothless watchdog is not a watchdog.
This is just one of many, many such happenings under English Law across Northern Ireland.
Please view my web site at www.europestilence.com or www.gerryrice.net or www.gerryrice.biz
If there were more solicitors like Padraigin Drinan in Northern Ireland, even English Law might work. The sickness that is punishing Padraigin Drinan must be diagnosed and the proper medicine prescribed. In the meantime, the Law Society must be quarantined.

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics - Please Sat Jan 22, 2005 03:40

The legal profession; Doctors are those people in professions that have special privileges.

The Law Society is to be found n the UK, the North of Ireland and in the South.

The Bar, engages in similar proceudres.

These are self regularting bodies. They have the privilege of putting in place prodeedings based on a varieny of say determied ;indiscretions''.

For years this has not be deemed enquitable and more so has not been above appraoch either North or South.

I believe that there are present early investigations by the The Competitoin Authority and these are being followed on in Ireland,

In P's case, there appears to be spurious interespreatons about unclear practice, coloured by the fact thta much work has ben done for no fee.

We are tallking Civil Rights case amd evodemt;u little money to bbe paid over by clients........

Surely ought to be special arrangements made for this woman. How about a representative from the Southern Law Societh and likewose a person from the South.

I sand horrified in Ireland that our Minister for Justice workload since the mere stumble of the Peace Process, has rresortedd in petty rehetoric on the criminality of the IrA; the list of aattrocities carried out by the IRA since the Cease fire - 10 years ago amd moreeover without substantial evidance and fvirtually no rights..

Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform states quite clearly to me his focus and his input to the Peace Process. What appears to hve happend without some of our Politicians down south is they have jumped horse to the high ground of morality and l left the rest humbled and trying to 'march on for peace'.

I ask thta Mr. McDowell in his capacity as Minister for Justice and Law Reform look into this matter........I am surely any indiscreancies i.e. apart from helping victims af a susytem that could be interpreted as sucbject to discrepancies........

Rather than r,0000 words of tit-tat commentary about the IRA, it is time to come back on side.

Lidy McDowell wrote a succinct letter in the Bellfast Telegraph. It is well worth rearing. You know those other pariamilitaries that form the UDA that linked to the RUC (day night exchange). Well Lindy spoke about the Stg60,000 m sterling that is to be allocated to the UDA members..........she spoke abouty the likelihood that this would never make it from the hands to people at grass roots level who really needed.

To talk about this Stg70 m surely indicates that those on the Unionist side were drawing in, as those on the Sinn Fein Side..............

A Bank Robbery no evidence allows the PSINI Hugh Orde to is the statement that he has basically no evidance but he reckons it is the IRA.......Sinn Fein tried to keep on line....but then down South, we had Mr. Justice McDowell on his crimibnality rant and of course, Taoiseach Ahern had to move to victim role........he looks the victim in that his saying how could Gerry Adams; Gerry McGHuinness. Gerry Kelly hafe duped us......


The question is did they Dupe anyone.

In regard to the solicitor, is there any practical, contributory free time that someone could give to asist her get her books in order.

Can Minister McDowlell do omething.........this surely is the long term benefit of the Island of Ireland.

by micheailin Sat Jan 22, 2005 18:10 email at saoirse32 dot tk

Thanks for the excellent article. This must be a Freudian slip--
'Spearheading the appeal to defend Ms Nelson...'

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics Please Sun Jan 23, 2005 22:35

Padraigin Drinan
by micheailin Saturday, Jan 22 2005, 5:10pm
email@saoirse32.tk


Michealin. You made my day with your reply. You see, Paidraigin Dinan’s case has been on my mind recently. Human Rights, Justice, Ethics, Morality are values, I consider most important.

I am surprised from the Newspapers today the attention paid to the ‘Heist’, the non substanciated accusations. I note the Minister for Justice considers himself both a Liberal and Republican so I would add what about his INPUT TO HIS profession, the law profession, the potential Peace process. Surely as a blending is required between ‘two establishments’ and auxiliaries, a more libertarian view is required from our Justice, Equality and Law Reform department in the Republic of Ireland (democratic) Island of Ireland potential reality).

Michealin, thanks for your comment and not for pointing out the so many obvious typos. I amend the article now.

Something needs to be done to ensure no injustice is carried out against this solicitor
by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics - Please Saturday, Jan 22 2005, 2:40am

The legal profession; doctors or those people in professions that have special privileges……

The Law Society is to be found in the UK, the North of Ireland and in the South.

The Bar, engages in similar procedures.

These are self-regularing bodies. They have the privilege of putting in place proceedings based on a variety of self-determined indiscretions and make decisions to investigate complaints made by the public against members. Lay people are not involved in the adjudication procedures , therebe this provides for potential discrepancies.

Presently, there is a Task Force set up by Government to review the Law Society and Bar procedures in the South. A number of recommendations have been made and these include lay members on the investigating panels. Co-incidentally, these recommendations are ahead of the Competition Authority (Mr. John Fingleton) report which is due out in several weeks and time.

In Paidrigins case, there appears to be spurious interpretations about unclear practice, coloured by the fact much work has been done for no fee. I can accept anyone accepting a case for no fee, if the choice is possible and people’s rights are concerned. This is about humanity and human rights. Perhaps a more constructive approach would be to look for someone to contribute time to facilitate Paidrigin in her work.

Surely we in the South ought to be proactive for special arrangements to be made for this woman. How about a representative from the Southern Law Society and likewise a person from the South exchange/opportunity.

I would have thought our Justice Department would have more to gain in this area of Law Society ‘powers’ than say having a Minister write in excess of 4,000 words on ‘IRA Criminality’ based on no evidence and at a time one would deem ‘critical’. Surely the scarcity of time and accusations rushed ahead the decision in 1921…….We need to start learning......'Mistakes are portals of discovery' James Joyce is an easy few words to keep in mind.

I stand horrified in Ireland that our Minister for Justice’s workload since the mere stumble of the Peace Process, has resorted in petty rhetoric on the criminality of the IRA; the list of attrocities carried out by the IRA since the Cease fire - 10 years ago and moreover without substantial evidence and virtually no rights..


I ask that Mr. McDowell in his capacity as Minister for Justice and Law Reform look into this matter of the Northern Ireland Law Society practices with the view to people like Paidigin, Pat Finucane, Rosemary Nelson.

Lindy McDowell wrote a succinct letter in the Bellfast Telegraph within the last few weeks. It is well worth reading.

You know those other paramilitaries that form the UDA (former connections to RUC day/night exchange). Well Lindy spoke about the Stg70,000 m sterling that is to be allocated to the UDA members..........she spoke about the likelihood that this would never make it from the hands of the UDA people (she named a few) to people at grassroots level who were worthy of funds to redress past injustices.

To talk about this Stg70 m surely indicates that those on the Unionist side were drawing in, as those on the Sinn Fein Side..............

What really is beginning to bother me about our side i.e. South is the lack of Collective Responsibility. This is part of the democratic foundation stone yet as the Peace Process brought individuals from all sides, so close and so near, a mere ‘sack cloth and ashes’ and a robbery destroyed all and out of it emerged petty bickering that perhaps shows that the Time Was Not Right!!!!

A Bank Robbery (no evidence) allows the PSINI Hugh Orde to is the statement that he has basically no evidence but he reckons it is the IRA.......Sinn Fein tried to keep on line....but then down South, we have Mr. Justice McDowell on his crimibnality rant and of course, Taoiseach Ahern had to move to victim role........he looks the victim in that his saying how could Gerry Adams; Gerry McGuinness. Gerry Kelly dupe us......Surely, we are beyond school yard games…..

The question is did they Dupe anyone.

In regard to Paidgigin's case is there any practical, contributory free time that someone could give to asist her get her books in order.

Can Minister McDowell do something?.........this surely is the long term benefit of the Island of Ireland.

Regarding Jean McConville RIP:

If I was shot in the war zone of Iraq, say as a journalist……Would the debate be about it being criminal or that I was a victim of War?

Where is the respect for the McConville family?

I believed Dr. Kelly (who committed suicide) that there were no weapons of mass destruction…..He made the accurate statement. I am one of the people who believe that Geneva Convention was breached and we ought not to be involved in the US led War in Iraq. I also do not support the use of Shannon. Are people aware of the implications of this? Are we aware of the weapon components that emanate in Ireland enhance our Balance of Payments favourably. We need an Ethics Audit……etc….and a need to re-appraise where Ireland stands.


My personal belief is that we in Ireland need some Mentors/Role Models. I will suggest three people who guide me….
Sean MacBride (Nobel Peace Prize Winner)
John Hume (Nobel Peace Prize Winner)
C.S. Lewis (Writer)
Michealin, thanks. I have ABI and take medications so I only found the evidence the next morning in hard print.

Quotation
Flying High by Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian
‘A FOREST BIRD NEVER WANTS A CAGE’


add your comments


Thanks for the excellent article. This must be a Freudian slip--
'Spearheading the appeal to defend Ms Nelson...'
add your comments


printable version with comments

by Brendan Lally Mon Jan 24, 2005 10:16

Is "Social Justice and Ethics Please" the name of an organisation?

by Mark Hewitt - ARN & SWP Mon Jan 24, 2005 21:21 southbelfast_arn at yahoo dot co dot uk

There is an organising meeting for all those who wish to defend Pádraigín at 7pm in the Duke of York, Belfast, on Wednesday night (26 Jan).
Pádraigín has been an active supporter of the ARN since its inception. Not only has she defended the organisation from solicitors acting on behalf of Homefinders, submitted papers on our behalf to the parades commission - but has stood on the picket line outside of the estate agents and joined many an action against racism.
She has also been on major demos in Dublin, Shannon, Hillsborough and Belfast against the war on Iraq and is the first to jump to defend the rights of all those acting to change the world for the better.
At a time when our civil rights are under massive attack - the law society witchhunts one of the last remaining human rights solicitors - its simply a disgrace and they won't get away with it.

by eeekkk Mon Jan 24, 2005 22:00

word to wise

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics - Please Mon Jan 24, 2005 22:53

No. Just me who hopes for a more Socially Just Society with the core values of Ethics.....

Michelle

Seneca: Quotation on the day Mr. Ray Burke, is sentenced to prison - the first Minister of Justice in the history of the Irish Republic for this to happen to.

I have sympathy for the man and family but hope this emphasises the need for Justice and Truth.....and that people recall that he is no doubt a fall-guy for others.

by Tom P - BAWM Tue Jan 25, 2005 16:57 defendpadraigindrinan at yahoo dot com

CAMPAIGN MEETING TO DEFEND PADRAIGIN DRINAN
WEDNESDAY 26TH JANUARY @7PM IN THE DUKE OF YORK BAR (off Donegall Street)
Many people will now be aware that Padraigin Drinan, the committed human rights lawyer is being shut down by the Law Society.
A campaign has now been launched by some of us who are deeply deeply concerned about the actions of the Law Society. We aim to pull together those who are clients of the office and those who have worked with Padraigin over the years and more importantly those who are committed to the same rights and freedoms and principles that Padraigin has been defending for the last thirty odd years.
This decisision to close Padraigin's office is a disgrace and an indictment of a cowardly, vindictive body who have long had the knife out for the human rights solicitor.
Padraigin Drinan is a human rights lawyer with over 30 years experience. She is an excellent lawyer with an impeccable record of representing her clients. She has been involved in winning landmark human rights cases, campaigning for and winning major changes in legislation for women, the victims of sectarianism, the victims of racism, the victims of child abuse at the hands of the church, equality legislation, human rights legislation.
The reason that the Law Society have given for closing her down is that they received complaints about her administration. It defies belief to even the most gullible that a lawyer with a profile and the credentials of Padraigin is being shut down on a trumped up charge of "poor administration". It iwidely known that Padraigin has been the subject of more impromptu inspections by the Law Society over the years than anyone else. In the end when they could find nothing irregular about her accounts, her integrity, her representation of her clients, her staff or indeed anything else - they said she didn't answer letters quickly enough. It would be laughable if it wasn't so deadly serious.
For the past two weeks, since it was announced that she was being shut down, messages of support have flooded in from individuals and groups from all over the north, the Republic, the UK and the US. The Law Society has been flooded with complaints. Questions are rightly being asked as to the real motive of the Law Society.
Padraigin has been a thorn in the side of the establishment for years for every possible reason - all of them good ones. She is probably the last surviving solicitor who came to law through the struggle for civil rights in the 60s and 70s. Everyone else has been closed down. She has often been quoted as saying she became a lawyer after internment as it was the only way to see her friends.
She has never fitted the image that people hold of lawyers. She is far from rich and travels mainly by bus. She does not attend the sort of soirees that the legal fraternity throw. She is however a well known face at various campaign meetings to champion various causes. Her practice is run on a shoestring. Her office is herself and one other full time worker and two committed full time volunteers. She does not just believe that rights should be fought for in the courts. She has been at anti-war demonstrations in Shannon, Dublin, Belfast and Hillsborough. She has been there to protest and then usually had her services called on by people arrested at Hillsborough or people beaten by the police at the City Hall in Belfast. She has shared an anti-war platform in Belfast City Centre with George Galloway. She has done phone link ups with solicitors around the world about the human rights abuses in Guantanamo Bay. She is a contact for lawyers in the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in the Gaza Strip.
She has been a member of the Anti Racism Network from the beginning. When the South Belfast Group were threatened by the police and the solicitors for Homefinders to attempt to prevent a picket of Homefinders' office for racist vetting, Padraigin closed her office early so that her and her staff could join the picket. For over a year she has appeared in the news and been pictured outside the NIHE saying that if the law wasn't changed to allow emergency access to accommodation for immigrants then there would be a tragedy. That tragedy happened at Christmas when a young Ukranian woman lost both her legs. Her office has represented many of the victims of the racist attacks and been harsh critics of the police for not doing enough for the victims. She has represented numerous people in discrimination cases.
She has represented the Chinese Welfare Association for years who have publicly come out in support of her and raised concerns about what is happening.
Padraigin's office handles dozens of immigration and refugee cases and did so even when it was not covered by Legal Aid and people could not pay. The office has successfully prevented a number of detentions and deportations over the years and highlighted the disgraceful practice of imprisoning asylum seekers.
Padraigin has represented the Rape Crisis Centre for years and has taken on the care system and the church on behalf of the victims of abuse. Rape Crisis have publicly voiced their support for her and asked probing questions of the Law Society.
She took over many of Rosemary Nelson's cases after she was murdered, including representing the various resident's groups opposed to loyalist parades. She also has a number of ongoing cases relating to state collusion in the killing of its citizens. This has often meant that she was labeled as a nationalist solicitor. She herself is very clear that it is never a question of religion or nationalism but a question of what is right and what is fair that drives her to take the sort of cases that she takes. There is little doubt that these cases in particular have led to the numerous threats to her life.
Her clients are catholic, protestant and other, they are women, men, black, white, indigenous, immigrant, gay and straight. What ties most of them together and what the law society have admitted to not liking is that they are mostly poor and that the work is often done for free. In an office that is overflowing with work you are more likely to be turned away if you have plenty of money as you will have no trouble finding a solicitor elsewhere. If you are poor you would have nowhere else to go and room will always be made to squeeze you in.
It is absolutely vital that a campaign is built to protect Padraigin Drinan's practice. There is no-one in the legal profession left who has campaigned and worked so tirelessly to fight for the rights of the most oppressed and marginalised in our society.
The last number of years have seen attack after attack on civil liberties in the UK, Ireland and across the world. It is vital that someone who has made it her life's work to fight for and protect those rights is not allowed to be closed down on trumped up nonsense in order to shut her up.
Please come to this meeting on Wednesday night and pass this message on to everyone on your e:mail list.
Should you not be able to attend this meeting but would like to help the campaign then please send a reply email or alternatively phone Tracey on 07884074221 or Mark on 02890593225. Messages of support for Padraigin can also be sent via this e:mail (defendpadraigindrinan@yahoo.com) and we will ensure they are forwarded.

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics Fri Jan 28, 2005 01:36

This newswire highlights an evident validation of Paidraigin Dineen.

Has anyone any feedback from the meeting?

Has contact being made with Minister McDowell, Equality and Law Reform, Republic? Some pertinent advice might be forthcoming given the present committee review of Law Society practices here?

The Law Society in Dublin is due for major challenge from the Competition Authority in the next few weeks.......Procedures may have to be altered and the input of lay people hopefully will be required.

Closed shops in the light of a possible Peace Process are not to be recommended.

Quotation:

Constructing Your Life (African Saying)
'The area covered by your life is not as important as what you build on it.....'

Ex. The Little Book of Bright Spirits (Amnesty)

Sound advice perhaps!!!!!!

by toneore Fri Jan 28, 2005 02:20

VIctims of the IRA:

The Sinn Féin TDs sat stony- faced as Mr Ahern listed some of these attacks to a silent chamber. "An 18-year-old received gunshot wounds in both hands in an incident in Seaford Street in east Belfast, responsibility of the Provisional IRA. "A punishment attack was carried out on a 19-year-old man. He was shot in both hands and it is believed the Provisional IRA was responsible. The other day a 19-year-old man was shot in both ankles in an alley in Serbia Street, Lower Falls and it is believed the Provisional IRA was responsible."

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2005/0127/772421435HM1BRENNOCK.html

by Barry Fri Jan 28, 2005 02:47

There is no such street in the lower Falls as "serbia" street. There is however a "Servia st." If your going to be a right wing loony at least get the geography right.

What have a couple of hoods got to do with Padrigin ? I would assume if they asked her to represent them in a compensation case she most definitely would, thats if shes actually allowed by the state to practice law.

I hope you arent trying to insinuate something sinister about her, given the fate of both Pat Finucane and Rose Nelson. Insinuations like that can cost human rights lawyers their lives in this part of occupied Ireland. As such an expert you are only too aware of this.

That would make you an out and out scumbag, who could do with a wee trip to SERVIA street yourself.